Beach revenue exceeds $1 million for first time
Over 110,000 bought daily badges in Asbury Park
Beach fee revenue for Asbury Park exceeded $1 million for the first time ever this season, according to beach utility manager Garrett Giberson, Sr.
Giberson said that the city is about $2,000 over the $1 million mark, not including this weekend which will be added to the final tally. Last year, beach fee revenue was approximately $890,000, he said.
Giberson estimated attendance this year at 110,000-120,000 among those who purchased daily badges, while close to 4,000 bought seasonal passes.
“It’s been going up exponentially,” said Giberson of beach fee revenue increases starting about seven years ago. In several of those early years the revenue doubled annually, he said.
Upon his appointment in 2003, city manager Terence Reidy said the city was subsidizing the beach utility because attendance was so low.
In 2002, for example, beach fee revenue was only $71,000. Yet it cost an estimated $300,000 to operate the beaches on what was then a “bare-bones” budget, Reidy said. In 2003, the revenue increased to $100,000, he said.
“In ten summers we’ve gone from $100,000 to $1 million,” Reidy noted.
Giberson cited landscaping and other improvements the past few years by waterfront redevelopers Madison Marquette and Asbury Partners as factors in the attendance increases, as well as the opening of a wide-range of restaurants. In addition, he said the city invested in state-of-the art beach cleaning equipment, and this year offered 195 chair lockers for rent.
“Our goal is to provide a safe, pleasant bathing experience,” he said.